The present invention relates to an illuminated coaster assembly that is free of an electrical power source for illumination. The illumination is achieved by chemical reaction, as more clearly explained later.
The prior art offers a number of illuminated articles of manufacture, some of which are useful as a beverage coaster. However, none teach the simplicity and uniqueness of the present invention. The most pertinent prior art is reflected in the following U.S. Patents:
a.) U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,449, to Kuo, teaches a system for illuminating a transparent body having two separate chambers containing different liquids which are mixed together when a guide tube is pressed to provide communication between the chambers, and the body is shaken. PA1 b.) U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,270, to Collet, discloses a chemiluminscent coaster including a coaster combined with a luminous filler or light source, structured as a shell containing reagents for inducing chemiluminescence. At least one surface of the coaster is light transmissive, being wholly or partially transparent or translucent. A single-use chemiluminescent coaster may use light sources in which the reaction takes place extemporaneously at the time of use, or may include light sources wherein pre-mixed reagents are kept at -40 degrees C. in order to prevent any chemiluminescent reaction. Reusable chemiluminscent coasters preferably use extemporaneously chemiluminescent sources. The coaster is structured to permit expansion due to gaseous discharge during the chemiluminescent reaction. A surface thereof may include an opening to permit dilation of the shell, or may be made at least partially of a supple, expandable, material. In the later case, a raised edge may be provided at the periphery of a supple bottom surface, to permit the coaster to rest flatly on the raised edge whether or not the surface is expanded. PA1 c.) U.S. Pat. No. 5,624,177, to Rosaia, relates to an illuminated circular ring which provides lumination to various style drinking glasses. This ring is attachable or interdesigned into various style drinking glasses providing a housing for an integrated circuit board with state of the art surface mount solid state components. The components are attached to an interchangeable cover. PA1 d.) U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,081, to Pita, et al., teaches a vessel for the containment of food or drink which produces a chemiluminescent reaction when activated to provide an enjoyable effect for the user of the vessel. The vessel has inner and outer walls and floors with a space therebetween, and includes a chemiluminescent fluid within at least the floor space. Another chemiluminescent fluid is contained separately within a toroidal tube in the upper or lower rim of the vessel. The vessel and tube are preferably formed of a flexible and translucent plastic. Thus, when the rim is flexed the toroidal tube is compressed, causing the fluid contained therein to rupture a thin membrane separating the volumes of the tube and wall or floor space and allowing the fluid contained within the tube to flow into the space between the two walls and floors to mix with the other chemiluminescent fluid and thereby produce an interesting and pleasing glow from the vessel. A further variation on the above invention provides for containment of one of the fluids in a capsule in the base of the container. While a specific combination of chemicals known in the art is disclosed, a variety of chemiluminescent compounds may be used to provide different colors, brightness, reaction times, etc, PA1 e.) U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,749, to Ige, discloses a removable coaster for attachment onto a receptacle such as a cup, for example, having a hole on the coaster bottom for easy removal thereof. The coaster has a circumference less than the circumference of the receptacle in order to force fit the coaster onto the bottom portion of the receptacle so that the wall of the coaster is flush with the wall of the receptacle. PA1 f.) U.S. Pat. No. 5,010,461, to Saotome, relates to a display platform for exhibiting an object by illuminating the object in a selectable plurality of color and/or color patterns. The illuminating source is activated by a pressure-sensitive switch which will engage only if an object of sufficient mass is placed on the pressure sensitive switch. Variation of illuminating color or pattern is accomplished by a sequentially registrable filter disk that is placed between the illuminating source and the object to be displayed. The electrical power supply that energizes the illuminating source located within the platform. PA1 g.) U.S. Pat. No. 4,336,574, to Goodman, teaches a lighted coaster for supporting beverage containers such as glasses. The coaster includes a top cover having a translucent lens and a side skirt extending downwardly to overlap a base member. The base contains batteries and a springbiased light bulb extending upwardly to contact the underside of the lens in such a fashion that when beverage glasses are placed on the coaster, the light moves downwardly to contact a suitably disposed circuit member and actuate the light. When the beverage is removed, the light urges the cover upwardly a short distance and breaks contact with the electric circuit and turns itself off.
None of the prior art articles of manufacture described above teach a self illuminating coaster assembly that may be readily adhered to a beverage vessel in the manner taught by the present invention. The simplicity, though effectiveness, of the coaster assembly hereof will become more apparent in the following specification.